UK Open 2014 - 7-9 Mar

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The UK Open has a new slot in the calendar, a new venue and a new TV broadcaster. It begins on Friday but it is no longer at the Reebok Stadium. Instead it is at Minehead where the Players Championship Finals have been held for the last couple of years and the whole event is now live on ITV4 for the entire weekend. Always a good tournament with the random draw meaning anyone can play anyone at anytime so it is an event outsiders tend to do well in. Early round draw, format and schedule here: http://www.pdc.tv/news/article/15kylev1stko6170himv1f8ewm/title/coral-uk-open-draw--schedule

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Re: UK Open 2014 - 7-9 Mar Tournament preview: 2pts ew G.Anderson to win UK Open 25/1 Coral (1/4 1-4) Leading my ‘team’ of players this week is Scotland’s Gary Anderson. Anderson is a former finalist in this tournament so we know he has what it takes to come through the field and he has already won two tournaments in 2014 which gives him a boost going into this weekend. Anderson has won a European Tour event and a UK Open qualifier and looks to be playing somewhere near his best darts at the minute so at 25/1 if he can dodge the dangerous bullets in the draw early on he could be a massive player come Sunday. 1pt ew S.Bunting to win UK Open 33/1 Skybet (1/4 1-4) As soon as Stephen Bunting switched over to the PDC I had him down on my shortlist for this tournament and he has inked himself onto my team with a win in one of the UK Open qualifiers which was just his second tournament in the PDC. Forget the fact this guy has spent his career in the BDO. He is more than good enough to mix it in this company and with experience aplenty in going through big fields in a weekend over in the BDO he can use that to his advantage and have a deep run in this tournament. 1pt ew J.Pipe to win UK Open 50/1 Boylesports (1/4 1-4) Justin Pipe is near enough playing on home soil in this tournament. He lives not far from the venue and it is clearly one he enjoys and gets good support in because he has made the semi final in each of the two Players Championship finals which have been held here. He has a tricky test against Dave Chisnall in the third round here but if he can come through that not only will he have got rid of a danger in the field but he’ll be into the Last 32 with his confidence high and very comfortable in the surroundings. Pipe has made a European Tour final and three quarter finals and a semi final in floor tournaments in 2014 so he’s in good form going into this weekend. Pipe will breakthrough and make the final of, or even land, a major tournament in 2014 I’m confident of that. Given his comfort with the venue it is worth taking him this weekend in case this is the tournament. Full preview here: http://www.punterslounge.com/uk-open-betting-gary-anderson-can-have-a-good-weekend-in-minehead